How are you guys writing trip reports from the fort?

[ejmbibb]

I was just wondering how some of you can get on the dis while at disney? I just got a wireless card and router for home, but don't know much about how it works elsewhere.
John

 

[des1954]

1) Connect laptop to cell phone - if you have wireless connectivity thru cell phone.

2) Use aircard that you get thru cell company.

3) FtW has 3 Wi-Fi spots if you have wireless modem in your laptop. ($9.95/24 hour period).


I used to have connectivity on my cell phone from 2002 thru 2004 when we full-timed in our RV. It was very expensive. $100.00/month - Vz Wireless, but we could use it anywhere we could get a signal. It was not as fast as DSL or Cable Modem, but it was a lot faster than straight dial-up.

Now, we have a wireless modem in the laptop & hit Wi-Fi's (preferrably free), but will pay the $9.95 rate at FtW only if it is necessary. We may end up getting an aircard, but have not looked into the rates yet.

 

[drafthorsecrazy]

1) Connect laptop to cell phone - if you have wireless connectivity thru cell phone.

2) Use aircard that you get thru cell company.

3) FtW has 3 Wi-Fi spots if you have wireless modem in your laptop. ($9.95/24 hour period).


I used to have connectivity on my cell phone from 2002 thru 2004 when we full-timed in our RV. It was very expensive. $100.00/month - Vz Wireless, but we could use it anywhere we could get a signal. It was not as fast as DSL or Cable Modem, but it was a lot faster than straight dial-up.

Now, we have a wireless modem in the laptop & hit Wi-Fi's (preferrably free), but will pay the $9.95 rate at FtW only if it is necessary. We may end up getting an aircard, but have not looked into the rates yet.

$100? That does sound very expensive!

I just contacted Verizon about tethering my laptop to my cell phone for my next FW trip. I have done this in the past. At that time all I used was my minutes and I was very careful to only be online during my free minutes. Apparently things are different now and Verizon charges $59 for unlimited online minutes per month. No contract required. Can cancel at anytime. Since FW is the only place we stay any length of time without free wifi this sounds like a good deal. An aircard would be great but husband screams now when he tallies up our phone bills at the end of the year. (2 land lines, 2 cell phones, & DSL)

 

[LarryJ]

I was just wondering how some of you can get on the dis while at disney? I just got a wireless card and router for home, but don't know much about how it works elsewhere.
John

I have a wireless card from Verizon and get Excellent hook up in the 1600 loop 4 to 5 bars signal strength out of 5.

Larry

 

[LONE-STAR]

I dont know how they find the time to set down to acomputer. Why do this when you can do this

 

[des1954]

I have a wireless card from Verizon and get Excellent hook up in the 1600 loop 4 to 5 bars signal strength out of 5.

Larry

I'm glad to hear this!! We're considering getting a wireless card & I like to hear positive imput!!

Deb

 

[AuburnJen92]

I have a sprint card that i use all year on my laptop (The school has firewalled most legitimate sites to go and visit, like YAHOO MAIL) and it gets wonderful reception at the Fort. If you can stomach the 60 bucks a month and use it as often as we do, I would go that way.

 

[Patsy1969]

Where do you get the verizon deal? At one of their wireless phones stores?Thanks Patsy

 

[LarryJ]

Where do you get the verizon deal? At one of their wireless phones stores?Thanks Patsy

Yes I already had Verizon cell service along with home phone service and it think the card service is like $59/mo unlimited service. Only thing is that as I remember it should not be used for continuous streaming video or a lot of downloading.

Larry

 

[ejmbibb]

Thanks for the info, I never thought about using the cell card. I was thinking about using the wifi.... but I looked on the AT&T website, and I can use my cell phone and link it to my laptop with a USB cable. All I have to do is upgrade my data package and download some software... I think lol.


Thanks again
John

 

[DebbieT11]

we got the Verizon Treo phone and tether it to our laptrops..... we can turn the broadband (data?) *feature* off and on as we need, when we're on the road. Just make sure you say FEATURE, not PLAN..... there's a difference, I forget what.

 

[LORNADUCK]

I also have AT&T, I have a internet plan I am not sure what it is called. Do I need a special plan to connect it to my laptop? I was at the fort this past weekend and used my phone to get my email and read the disboards. But it would be easier if I could have used my laptop. Where on the AT&T website did you find how to do it?

 

[LarryJ]

Thanks for the info, I never thought about using the cell card. I was thinking about using the wifi.... but I looked on the AT&T website, and I can use my cell phone and link it to my laptop with a USB cable. All I have to do is upgrade my data package and download some software... I think lol.


Thanks again
John

Just to be clear what I have is an actual card that plugs into my laptop in the PCMIA (think I got that right) slot is not related to any of our cell phones. It has it's own number and supports like 10x dial up speeds and then some. In the year and 1/2 I have had it and traveled both here and to Chicago from Washington D.C., I have never been w/o service.

As I said sitting here in the 1600 loop at FW as I type this in an aluminum framed trailer my signal strength is 4 to 5 out of a max of 5.

I just looked and max transmit rate has been 124.1 KBPS and a max receive rate of 1,277.7 KBPS for the last 4+ hours of connect time with a total byte transmit/receive of just over 22MB. The computer has been idle for some of that time and I just haven't disconnected.

Larry

 

[ejmbibb]

I also have AT&T, I have a internet plan I am not sure what it is called. Do I need a special plan to connect it to my laptop? I was at the fort this past weekend and used my phone to get my email and read the disboards. But it would be easier if I could have used my laptop. Where on the AT&T website did you find how to do it?

It was under the business section, but We just got back from the att store and got some good info, here goes:

It is called teathering, and it is not cheap, and it is slow.
The guy wispered to us, "just get a wireless card (like others are talking about here) they are $100, and sign up for the plan $59 a month, use it for 28 days and bring it back and tell them that you dont want it. You get the 100 bucks back, and only pay for the useage on the plan. He says you have 30 days with any phone or device to try it out, and if you don't like it for any reason, you can bring it back. We did this a while ago with a different company with a phone, we took it home and it didn't work anywhere around our house (we live in the sticks ) so we took it back and went with att.

Hope this helps
John

 

[BigDaddyRog]

...sign up for the plan $59 a month, use it for 28 days and bring it back and tell them that you dont want it. You get the 100 bucks back, and only pay for the useage on the plan. He says you have 30 days with any phone or device to try it out, and if you don't like it for any reason, you can bring it back.

Now THATS my kinda purchase!!! I was thinking about doing this with a portable A/C too.

 

[ejmbibb]

When I was a "working contractor" when I needed something for work, I would use the "Sears Rental Program" buy it, use it, return it. I am not proud, but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes. LOL

 

[bradisgoofy]

I have used both the "Phone as Modem" and an "Air Card" and the air card is much faster. I have temporarily activated my phone as modem because the laptop I use my air card with is in for service. I can't use the air card with this laptop because it is newer and has the express slot which is smaller. This is worth keeping in mind if you choose to buy an air card and may consider upgrading to a new laptop, get the USB air card and it will work with older laptops as well as the newer ones. They also now make a router that you can plug the USB air card into to share your connection.

 

[lisa8200]

we use the USB card for ours for flexability. When dd got her laptop I put her old Desktop in the camper for me. Since I will wake up between 5 and 6 am I can check my mail and such while they sleep. I could use dd or dw's laptop but just in case they are up I don't have to kick them off if I want to do something. The USB allows us to use the card with all three. We thought about a router for it but that would make it too slow. When at Disney we try not to be at the camper that much anyway. Even though we spend 3-6 weeks at the fort a year, I don't think I could have justified it if DW couldn't use it at work.with Sprint we had to sign a two year contract.